Imperial Beach Homes for Sale

Imperial Beach, CA

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The city location makes it the most southern beach city in Southern California and the West Coast of the United States. It is in the South Bay area of San Diego County, 14.1 miles south of downtown San Diego.

Geography and city facts :

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.5 square miles. 4.2 square miles of it is land and 0.3 square miles of it (7.22%) is water.

The city occupies the extreme southwest corner of the continental United States: bordered by Tijuana, Mexico to the south, Coronado, California to the north, the San Diego Bay to east and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

Imperial Beach is part of the San Diego Metropolitan Area.

Despite the large population surrounding the city, Imperial Beach maintains a small residential feel.

Founded in June 1887, the city takes its name from Imperial County, California, a desert climate 100 miles east.

Farmers and land owners from the Imperial Valley came to the area in the late 1880s seeking cooler weather during summer months.

In March 1887, over 2,000 laborers descended upon nearby Coronado, California to construct the Hotel del Coronado, the largest resort in the world at the time. A large amount of the workers stayed in Imperial Beach and some would later make it their permanent homestead.

The city would incorporate in 1956, operating its own Mayor-council government providing city fire department service and policing by the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

Climate :

The city climate has summer temperatures often in the upper 70s and winter temperatures in the 60s. Because of the comfortable year round temperatures many homes in Imperial Beach are built without air conditioning. Imperial Beach often remains 10 degrees cooler than inland areas of San Diego County. The city is mostly or partly sunny 323 days of the year, with the wettest months in winter.

The Farmer's Almanac consistently ranks the area within the Top 10 Best Weather Cities in America. The Scripps Institution of Oceanography operates a weather reporting station at the middle of the Imperial Beach Pier for sky condition, temperature, humidity, pressure, wind and water temperature data.

Coastal and beach areas :

Imperial Beach encompasses just over 6 miles of beach including a dog beach and employs a year round lifeguard staff.

Beach volleyball and surfing are popular in Imperial Beach with activities concentrated north and south of the Imperial Beach Pier and the Boca Rio beach break, one of San Diego County's best surf spots. San Diego Magazine identifies the Boca Rio beach break as the second best surfing location in the county, second only to Black's Beach and the Scripps Canyon area near La Jolla.

The area around Imperial Beach Pier known as Pier Plaza showcases plaques placed on surfboard benches that tell the story of how the city's big waves had an impact on surfing from 1937 to the 1950s. Nearby Border Field State Park signifies the most southern beach on the west coast and allows beachgoers in the United States to talk to with beachgoers in Mexico. The city connects to nearby Coronado, California by way of the Silver Strand, a narrow, 7-mile long isthmus.

Silver Strand State Beach, is a popular beach for camping, bird watching, and bicycling, and is located in the middle of the isthmus and includes both bay and ocean beaches.

Events and Tourism :

The San Diego County summer tourist season brings many visitors to the city's beaches each year.

The city also holds the beach front classic car show every summer and an annual dog-surfing contest.

The Imperial Beach Farmer's Market, the only beach front farmer's market in San Diego County, operates from Pier Plaza every Friday afternoon (from November to March) and (from April to October) offering local fruits, vegetables and community art.

Every September, Imperial Beach also plays home to the Imperial Beach International Film Festival. The festival, held at Pier Plaza, allows attendees to view independent films from around the world and features an art walk with artists from across the Southwest.

The South Bay Drive-in is located just outside Imperial Beach off Coronado Avenue.

Imperial Beach is home to The Tijuana Estuary, a National Estuarine Research Reserve and State Park. The estuary, located off Seacoast Drive and Imperial Beach Boulevard, is home to many endangered birds and wildlife. This estuary marks the place where the fresh water Tijuana River enters the salt water Pacific Ocean. It is the largest salt water marsh in Southern California.

Renovation and City makeover:

Imperial Beach has undergone a significant makeover in the last ten years to become more visitor-friendly and to help increase commerce. In 2004, the City of Imperial Beach began implementing a community redevelopment plan to improve the commercial corridor along Palm Avenue and Seacoast Drive. However, aside from a few smaller hotels, Imperial Beach remains a highly residential city with little hotel or motel accommodation for visitors. Future plans for the city allow for construction of additional hotels along the beach areas of Seacoast Drive. On September, 13, 2010, after many years of planning, demolition officially began on the shuttered 38-room Seacoast Inn located off Seacoast Drive. Work has started on a $20 million dollar luxury hotel and conference facility to be built on the 1.4 acre oceanfront lot.

Military presence :

Imperial Beach boasts a high military population and is home to the US Navy's Naval Outlying Landing Field Imperial Beach also known as NOLF Imperial Beach.